1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic cash register that registers sales of merchandise.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic cash register (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9ccash registerxe2x80x9d), generally called as an ECR (Electronic Cash Register), is an apparatus that is placed in a retail store or the like and used to electronically register sales of merchandise, that is, to electronically perform processes such as recording the sales of merchandise, calculations, and cash management. Basic functions of the cash register are to record sales concerning transactions of merchandise and to issue receipts and slips. There are also cash registers capable of realizing a POS (Point Of Sale) system.
In the cash registers capable of realizing a POS system, so-called PLU (Price Look Up) is often employed wherein, when registering a sale, a price is not entered from a price tag, but only a product identification code given to each individual article of merchandise is entered, and from a unit price table which is entered and stored in advance, and in which reference identification codes and unit prices are associated with each other, a unit price corresponding to the entered product identification code is read and registered.
One such prior art electronic cash register is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2-239397 (1990). The cash register disclosed therein is designed to calculate tax amounts. More specifically, it provides a category-specific file that stores a type of tax common to all items of merchandise and that has a tax type area for storing tax types associated with category codes for categorizing all items of merchandise, and sets tax types other than the common tax type in the tax type area. In executing a registration process, if the tax type associated with the category code of the product to be registered is set in the tax type area of the category-specific file, the registration process is performed using that tax type in the tax type area of the category-specific file; if the tax type is not set, the registration process is performed using the common tax type.
Apart from the category-specific file, the abovementioned cash register provides a product-specific file that stores the category code to which the product belongs corresponding to one of product codes assigned to individual items of merchandise and that has a tax type area for storing tax types, and sets tax types other than the common tax type in each tax type area of the category-specific file and the product-specific file. In executing the registration process, if the tax type associated with the product code of the product to be registered is set in the tax type area of the product-specific file, the registration process is performed using the tax type set in the tax type area of the product-specific file. If that tax type is not set in the tax type area of the product-specific file but the tax type associated with the category code of the product to be registered is set in the tax type area of the category-specific file, then the registration process is performed using the tax type stored in the tax type area of the category-specific file. If the tax type of the product is not stored in either of the files, the registration process is performed using the common tax type.
Another prior art electronic cash register is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-334564 (1993). In the Publication, the cash register provides a department-specific totalizer having first and second areas where sales data are cumulatively stored for each of department codes by which merchandise is classified. In executing the registration process, the above-mentioned cash register determines whether the product to be registered is ordinary sales product or a special sales product; if it is an ordinary sales product, its sales data is cumulatively stored in the first area of the department-specific totalizer corresponding to the applicable department code, and if it is a special sales product, its sales data is cumulatively in the first and second areas of the department-specific totalizer corresponding to the applicable department code.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2-239397 (1990) described above, since it is necessary only to preset the common tax type for all products or departments and then set different tax types only for exceptional products or departments, the tax types can be set efficiently. However, in order to store and totalize results of the registration process for each special customer such as an employee or for each special purchaser, a complicated process is required. Storing and totaling the results of the registration process for each of such special customers or purchasers become necessary in case of a different process, for example, for tax declaration.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-334564 (1992) described above, even when ordinary sales products and special sales products are classified under the same department code, the sales data for the special sales products only can be totalized on a department by department basis. However, when storing and totaling the results of the registration process for each special customer or purchaser, a complicated process is required.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic cash register wherein results of a process of registering special customers and purchasers and a process of registering other ordinary customers and purchasers can be totalized, stored, and confirmed in an easy and simple manner.
The present invention provides an electronic cash register comprising:
registration means for registering sales information of merchandise;
sales information storage means for storing the sales information; and
control means for causing execution of an ordinary registration mode in which the sales information registered by the registration means is supplied to the sales information storage means;
the electronic cash register further comprising:
special registration process specifying means for specifying that special sales information of special products be subjected to a special registration process; and
special sales information storage means for storing the special sales information,
wherein, when the special registration is specified by the special registration process specifying means, the control means causes execution of a special registration mode in which the sales information registered by the registration means is supplied to the special sales information storage means.
According to the invention, usually the sales information of merchandise registered by the registration means is stored in the ordinary sales information storage means in the ordinary registration mode, but when performing the special registration process is specified, the sales information is stored in the special sales information storage means in the special registration mode. Since the registration process is performed for special customers and purchasers in the same way as the registration process of other ordinary customers and purchasers, the sales information to be registered can be totalized easily and simply. Furthermore, all of the special sales information during a period for which the execution of the special registration process is specified can be stored together separately from the ordinary sales information.
Furthermore the invention is characterized by comprising:
first identification code storage means for prestoring an identification code of a predetermined operator;
second identification code storage means for storing an operator identification code entered in the execution of the special registration mode;
identification code comparing means for comparing the identification codes stored in the first and second identification code storage means with each other; and
special registration mode permitting means for permitting the execution of the special registration mode when the identification codes match with each other.
According to this invention, only predetermined specific operators are permitted to execute the special registration mode, which can prevent the ordinary sales information from being stored in the special sales information storage means or the special sales information from being stored in the ordinary sales information storage means due to an erroneous operation.
Furthermore, the invention is characterized by comprising informing means for informing that the special registration mode is disallowed when the identification codes do not match.
According to this invention, when an operator other than the specific operators has attempted to execute the special registration mode, information that the execution of the special registration mode is disallowed is issued , and therefore an erroneous operation is avoided.
The invention is also characterized by comprising:
first designation code storage means for prestoring a designation code for forcefully executing the special registration mode;
second designation code storage means for storing a designation code entered in the execution of the special registration mode;
designation codes comparing means for comparing the designation codes stored in the first and second designation code storage means with each other; and
special registration mode forceful execution means for forcefully executing the special registration mode if the designation codes match with each other even when the operator identification codes do not match.
According to this invention, even an operator other than the specific operators, can execute the special registration mode if he knows the designation code. Accordingly, an operator, such as a manager who has the authority to know the designation code, can easily execute the special registration mode in case of emergency.
Furthermore, the invention is characterized by comprising output means for outputting the sales information stored in the sales information storage means and the special sales information storage means.
According to this invention, the sales information is output. For example, the sales information is displayed or printed. Accordingly, the operator can easily check results of totalization of the ordinary sales information and the special sales information.
Furthermore the invention is also characterized in that the output means outputs the sales information stored in the special sales information storage means, together with data indicating that the information has been obtained by executing the special registration mode.
According to this invention, it is possible to easily confirm that the output sales information is the special sales information obtained by executing the special registration mode.